Surgical instrument



Aug. 4, 1931. c. R. MErrzLER SURGICAL INSTRUMENT Fired'sept. 11, 1928 To Ze e r f /yd /z ATTO 'EY V part Patented rAug. 4, 17931 A` UNITED STATES' CHARLESv R. MEITZLE'R, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, AssIGNOR OE ONE-HALF To osoAa n H. PIEPEE'AND ONE-HALF To ALPHONSE yE. PIEPER, BOTH OE EOcHEsTEa'NEW A YORK sunsroAL INSTRUMENT Application led September 11, 1928. Serial No. 305,228.

The present invention relates to. surgical instruments and more particularly to diag'- nosticl lamps for dental and surgical use, onel object being to provide an improved @.5 instrument of thisclass designed'to protect the patient from the portions of the instrument which .are disposed adjacent to and become heatedv by the lamp.- g More particularly the invention has for 10 its object to provide an instrument of the class ldescribed with a guard vfor protectingl the mouth of the patient from the heat of the lamp and associated parts when the instrumentyis used within the mouth to in-k .15 spect, or while operating upon the teeth,

and where without the guardthe lamp or adjacent parts which become heated there.

by would be likely to burn the mouth or at v least produce objectionable reactions on the of the .patientfuponcontacting of' the heated parts with ,different portions ofthe mouth. x n .va

A further AObject of the invention is to provide in diagnostic lamps of thepresent type an improved guard for the purpose de-V scribed in combination with/a mirror supported by the guard andbeing adjustable toward and from the lamp through adjustment of the guard upon the instrumentA .130 proper. Y

A further vobject of the invention is to provide in an instrument ofthe present type a simple, practical and economical form of construction, embodying unitary 'and readlily 'detachable parts to facilitate cleansing or sterilizing of rthe sarneas well as interchangeability whereby a plurality of the units maybe kept on hand and interchanged 40 from time tov time with one or 'more vbase units for supportingthe detachable units.

To these and other ends the invention resides incertain improvements and combinations of parts, all Vas will be hereinafter y more fully described, the novel features :be-V

ing pointed out in the claims at thepend of the speciiication.

In the drawings: p. Fig. l is an external view of an instrument embodying the invention;y

Fig. 2 is a section taken longitudinally through the same; j

Fig'. 3 is a vfront view of the combined mirror and mouth guard shownyattached lto the outer endof the lamp casing;v4 I

Fig. l is a rear view of the same` showing the. guard and mirror detached from the casing; f

Fig. 5 is a transverse section taken on the line 5 5 of Fig. l, andy i i Fig. 6 is a transverse lsection ytaken on line G- of Figzgl. y Y p Similar v reference numerals throughout the several views indicate theA same parts.

` Referring to the'drawings,ll0 represents a base unit adapted for connection 'with suitable supporting and conducting means not shown.V Thebase unit preferably includes an upstanding tubular member y1,1', in the outer4 end of whichis removably disposed a llamp Vunitl including va socket l2 and a lamp. thereon, the socket, `having a bayonet joint connection witlithetubular member 11 as shown infvFig. 2.- The Vtubular member 1l constitutesfone of the conducting orfcircuit elements forthe lamp and has a reduced end portion 1 4 projecting through and fromA the. base tube to form a contact portion for connectingthe instrument with the` circuit wires,4not shown, said endl, portion being insulated from the base in any suitable manner. Y circuit element is preferablyfin the form otra metal post 15 mounted within and insulated from the tubular portion lllof the klamp supporting ,member 11'y and having suitable connections with the lamp socket.

A unitary lcasing is; provided -iny the V*form of a tuloel6` having a head 17 at one end The other conducting or base 10 )ro'ectine from a knurled ortion -t n c 18 of the base as indicated in Fig. 2 whereby said units are made readily detachable.

vSupported on the outer end of the tubular casing is a cap or thimble 19 of light-transmitting material, preferably glass. The thimble has its inner end inserted within the outer end of the tubular casing and is secured therein by a suitable binder as indicated at 2O in Fig. 2, whereby a liquid tight joint is aifordedibetween the thimble and yieldably engaging tthe tube 1G to alford a clamping action by lwhich the guard is ield against accidental displacement. The guard proper embodies an enlarged end portion 22 spaced from and substantially surrounding the thimble 19 and the lamp therein and also a considerable portion of the outer end of the tube 16 as shown in Fig. 2. An air space or cooling chamber isthus alforded between the guard and thethimble and the outer end of the tubular casing as well. The air is permitted to circulate within and through the space 23 by reason ofthe fact that the enlarged portion of the guard has an opening 24 extending its full length as best indicated in Fig. 4L. v-

Heretofore the parts provided to extend around lamps of this class to prevent lateral projection of the light rays have been ,in contact with or in extremely close proximity to the lamps and consequently have become quicklyheated and to such an extent as to often burn the patients mouth when placed in contact therewith after the light has been turned on for a considerable .length of time. Even when the parts do not become heated sufficiently to actually burn the patient, they heat up to such an extent as to produce an undesirable reaction on the part of the patient when contacting with any portion of the mouth is avoided with the present constructionfor the reason that the openair chamber 23 between the guard and the parts directly surrounding the lamp and vlamp socket serves to insulate the guard from the heat of the lamp to such an extent that it will be kept comparatively cool under all conditions of service.

The guard also embodies means 'whereby when it is inserted upon the outerend of the tube 16 and moved inwardlyy thereon the operator will know when it has reached its normal position of adjustment. Y VThis means comprises one or more inwardlyprojecting parts 24, preferably struck inwardly from tions.

This condition the enlarged portion 22 of the guard and which are adapted to engage a suitable abutment or abutments on the Vtube 16 compris,

ing in the present instance the outer end portion 25* of the tube, in contact with which is shown one of the projections 2-l in Fig. 2.

The guard is provided with a pair of outwardly turned upper and lower portions 26 and 27 respectively, which are formed around a rod 28 and preferably soldered thereto at 29 as indicated in Figs. 5 and 6, soV that the rod is rmly held by said por- The upper end of the rod is provided with a casing 30 in which is disposed a reliecting mirror 31v inclined to the axis of the lamp for reiieeting the light rays thereof transversely of said axis to the various parts to be examined.

l/Vhen it is desired under certain conditions of usage to ad]ust the mirror rela- 4tively close to the lampas indicated by the dotted line position of the latter in Fig. 1, it is only necessary to force the guard inwardlyby exerting sufficient pressure thereto cause the projecting parts 2dtoevere the abutment 25v on the tube 16, this 'fig a comparatively easy operation since 1e split sleeve will yield suiiiciently to permit it to expand the necessary amount for such a movement. rlhe guard is also free to rotate upon the tube 16 and may be readily slipped on and oil when it is desired to use the instrument without the guard. Furthermore, the guard and the mirror constitute a detachable unit which may be readily removed as such for the purpose of sterilizing from time to time. If preferred, a number of the rguard and casing units may be kept on hand for interchangeable use witn 'the lamp base unit carrying the sleeve and socket parts 11 and 12 and the lamp 13, as shown in Fig. 2.

The lamp and lamp socket are also made detachable from the tubular member 1l by means of the bayonet oint connection'sho'wn in Fig. 2 whereby lamps of varying capacity may be used in making different kinds of examinationsV or whereby new lamps may be readily attach-ed when required.

I claim as my invention:

f1. A` surgical instrument comprising a base, a lamp casing connected with the base, a support `within the casing, ka lamp within the casing upon the support, said lamp and support being detachable by a longitudinal movement through the inner endof the cas- Iing and a guard upon the casing having a portion spaced from and substantially surrounding that part of the casing in which the lamp is disposed whereby to aiford an air space between said part and the guard, said spaced portion having an inwardly extending part arrangedA when the guard is inserted'upon and moved inwardly on vthe sleeve to engage the end 'of the latter wheretending into said by to check inward movement of said guard.` 2. A surgical instrument comprising a base, a lamp tube connected therewith having a transparent outer end, a lamp support detachably connected with the base and projecting within the tube for withdrawal therefrom, a lamp upon the support extransparent outer end and removable with the support as a unitk through the inner end of the tube, and a guard mounted upon the outer endof 'the tube and having a portion spaced from and substantially surrounding the transparent end to afford an air space about the latter. 3. A surgical instrument lcomprising a base, a lamp casing detachably connected with the base, a lamp within the casing, an guard upon the casing having asplit sleevelike portion yieldably engaging and slidably mounted upon the casing, said sleeve-like portion having an enlarged end spaced from and substantially surrounding thatportion of the casing inwhich thelamp is disposed and means projecting inwardly from said enlarged end and arranged to engage the casing to check the inward movement of the guard.

4. A base, and having its outer end formed of transparent material, anda lamp support connected with the base and detachably extending within the tube and removable through the inner end thereof and removable from the support'as a unit and a lamp on the outer end of the support enclosed by said tube and a guard detachably secured upon the tube and having an enlarged portion substantially surrounding and in spaced relation to that portion of the tube surrounding the lamp and provided with a lateral opening for the admission of air to the interior of the guard, said guard being detachable byy an outward sliding movement upon said end when the latter is in service position. f i

54A surgical instrument comprising a base, a tubular casing carried thereby including a body portion and a transparent outer end portion of a less diameter than the body portion, a lamp support `within said body portion, a lamp upon the support projecting into said outer end portion and a guard slidably mounted upon the body portion and having an enlarged outer end substantially surrounding the transparentportion in spaced relation thereto and having an inwardly projecting part for en-` gagement with the outer end of the body portion whereby to check inward movement of the guard. y Y y 6, A surgical .instrument comprising a base, a lampjcarried thereby, a member connected with and extending from the Abase and having an abutment thereon, a'split surgical instrument comprising aa closed tube connected with the base Y sleeve slidably mounted on said member hav-5 ing a portion adapted to substantially sul-,

`round the lamp inv spaced relation thereto and provided with one or more' inwardly extending parts arranged in one position of the sleeve to engage the abutment, the

yieldability of the sleeve being suiiicientto s. permit said parts tooverride Vthe abutment under a predetermined pressure upon the sleeve in one direction'whereby the sleeve may be adjustedlongitudinally vto a different position upon saidv member.

CHARLES R. MEITZLER.

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